Professional Nursing Reflection Professional Nursing Reflection
Nursing is a practice that has been described as a science an art. It has many definitions and many philosophies that guide its practice. Nursing lacks a singular, definitive theory or philosophy. Individual develop their own philosophies and theories based on their values, beliefs and professional identities. As registered nurses that are seeking to advance our education and become professional nurses, defined as a registered nurse with a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Nursing (BSN), we need to be able to describe our current professional identities. We need to use the critical thinking skills that are so essential to the practice of nursing to analyze how we apply current theories and philosophies to our own nursing practice. How do our personal theories and philosophies compare to the current thoughts out there today and how can we develop a plan to continue to grow professionally as nurse leaders? We are simply applying certain steps in the nursing process to our way of thinking about our practice and future growth – assess, plan, and implement.
I. Professional Identity – Knowledge, Theory and Philosophy
I am currently a direct care provider in an emergency department at a Level I trauma center academic hospital. As an emergency room registered nurse (ER RN) I know that I am in a unique role as a provider of care. The American Nursing Association has recognized emergency nursing as a specialty practice ("Emergency Nursing a Specialty," 2011). With standing orders and protocols based on patient presentation and chief complaint that can be nurse initiated prior to the MD’s exam, an ER RN functions at a higher level of autonomy than most RN’s. In this role, knowledge, skills and abilities are essential. The ability to identify a sick patient can literally make the difference between